2 Texas men charged after England team gear stolen en route to Kansas City for World Cup base

Two men have been charged with one felony count each of receiving stolen property late on Saturday (June 13, 2026) after England's national team discovered that some of its equipment had been stolen while The Three Lions were moving from their pre-training base in Florida to their World Cup base camp in Kansas City.Prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, charged Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, both of San Antonio, Texas, with the class D felony, which carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison. Bond was set at $75,000 for each of them.

“Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have travelled here to compete,” Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson said. “We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work in filing charges immediately."None of the stolen property, which was estimated at about $18,000 in value, was essential to England's preparations.

According to a probable cause statement obtained by The Associated Press, items found in Salik and Kamal's possession included nine pairs of cleats, goalkeeper gloves, a World Cup soccer ball, several sets of shirts and shorts, electronics, stuffed animals, several signed national team jerseys and a Lego set of Nike Air shoes valued at $99.99.“I am grateful for the quick work of the Kansas City Police Department and the prosecutor's office in resolving an investigation across several states, helping crime victims recover goods stolen in transit, and ensuring the accused will face prosecution,” said Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement late Saturday (June 13, 2026).

“Kansas City's public safety leadership will continue to ensure all are safe and offenders will be held accountable swiftly.” The theft occurred before England's charter jet arrived in Kansas City at around noon on Saturday (June 13, 2026).The team was greeted first at its upscale boutique hotel in Prairie Village, Kansas, by the drum corps, cheerleaders and mascot of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.

Then, The Three Lions headed to an open training session at Swope Soccer Village, where MLS club Sporting Kansas City once trained, and where its second-division team and academy programs are still based.The England flag was flying above the complex, and a large sign stated that it was “The Home of England," while hundreds of fans and reporters greeted greeted the team on a hot, humid afternoon for the community training session.The practice ended about two hours before tornado sirens sounded across the metro and a heavy storm rolled through town.

Even though England does not play group games in Kansas City, it made its base there due to its central location. Its opening game against Croatia on Wednesday in Dallas is only about a 90-minute flight, matches against Ghana in Boston and Panama in New Jersey are about three hours away, while the West Coast is easily reachable for potential knockout games.Defending champion Argentina and the Netherlands also are based in Kansas City.

Algeria is in neighbouring Lawrence, Kansas. Published - June 14, 2026 12:53 pm IST Read Comments Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit READ LATER SEE ALL Remove Related Topics arrest / FIFA World Cup 2026